Liquid flow regulating system



A. M. WRIGHT LIQUID FLOW REGULATING SYSTEM April 2'1, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 piled nov. 14

IlllIlllllllIllII/l/ lll/1111111111 F-'IGJ FIG--2 FasL-3 Mw f WN /V 9 e l m" u fr Wm; M m 1 a 9 .ua MM INVENTOR ALEXANDER M. WRIGHT ATTORNEY April 21, 1959 A. M. WRIGHT 2,882,918

LIQUID FLOW REGULATING SYSTEM Filed Nov. 14. 1955 I5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG- 4 aan A C 5m (Q L 8 l b @x 40a Q 8 N u. 8 o 3 M lk 8 y /00 @ma zama :e000 am 54am 2000a effe ,qa/v. Wm. PP# F-IG- 6 ALEXANDER M WRIGHT BY ATTORNEY FIG 5 APIll 21, 1959 A. M. WRIGHT 2,882,918

LIQUID FLOW REGULATING SYSTEM Filed Nov. 14. 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR ALEXANDER M. WRIGHT BY A'rroRNEv United States Patent O FLOW REGULATING SYSTEM Alexander M. Wright, West Hartford, Conn., assigner, by

meme assignments, to Chandler-Evans Corporation, West Hartford, Conn., a corporationof Delaware This Yinvention `pertains to ways and vmeans for regu'- lating the pressure drop across -a metering valve in the discharge conduit of a liquid pump, yand more particularly has reference to means whereby a by-pass valve, in a shunt passage, connecting the dischargeand inlet conduits of a constant displacement pump, can maintain a constant meteringhead (i.e., pressure drop) across the metering valve, regardless of variations in pressure levels and metered flow rates.- l.

In the conventional arrangement for maintaining the discharge pressure and llow rate of a constant displacement, liquid pump at selected constant values, by means of a spring-biased, by-pass valve, in a shunt passage connecting the dischargeand inlet conduits of the pump, the pump discharge pressure acts on the by-pass valve in an opening direction, and is opposed by-the force of a spring biasing the valve in a closing direction. In such an arrangement, the pump discharge pressure is determined by the rate of the spring, in relation to the tlow area through the valve; and where the cross-sectional area of the discharge conduit is xed (i.e., constant), the How rate therethrough sdetermincd by the regulated pump discharge pressure. t

In many applications of the foregoing means for regu'- lating the pump discharge pressure, such as fuel control systems for internal combustion engines, the fuel llow from the pump to the engine is regulated by a metering valve, in the pump discharge conduit downstream from the by-pass passage around the pump, which valve varies the ow area therethrough in accordance with its position (i.e., degree of opening). In such applications, it is essential that the metering head (i.e., pressure drop) across the metering valve be maintained as nearly as possible at a constant value, regardless of variations in pressure levels and ilow rates of the liquid owing from the pump to the engine. Heretofore, great diiliculty has been experienced in attaining this objective, owing to unavoidable variations of said metering head, with variations in said pressure levels and llow rates, particularly where close regulation of the metering head to a constant value is required.

The said 4variation of metering head -across the metering valve is caused by the nature of the action of the hydraulic and spring forces acting on the by-pass valve. The said hydraulic force has three principal components: namely, (l) inertial force, which is easily determinable; (2) friction, which can also b'e closely calculated; and

(3) a force produced Iby the momentum of the llow of the liquid through the llow area of the by-pss valve, which is usually far larger than thetwo other forces. Heretofore, there has been practically no information available as to the origin of this last force, or on methods for its reduction. Hence, by-pass valves heretofore in use', have not had embodied any means for dealing with -said force, andv therefore have been inherently incapable of eliminating, or even substantially reducin'gfthe variations in metering head caused thereby.

Patented Apr. 21, 1959 vide a novel type of by-pass valve, having incorporated therein means for substantially eliminating variations in metering head (across its associated metering valve), with variations in pressure levels and ow rates therethrough, byautomatically creatingan hydraulic force which (acting on said by-pass valve), opposes and balances the hydraulic momentum force produced by the ilow of'liquidthrough said valve, and therebysubstantially-eliminates said variations of said metering head. l AAnother object of my invention is to provide a novel Aform of byz-pass valve, wherein the means mentioned in the preceding paragraph comprises a specially contoured, semi-annular llange" which extends outwardly from the cylindrical body of the by-pass valve andintol the outlet ports whose tiow area is controlled by said valve.

With these and other objects in viewwhich may be incident to my improvements, my invention consists of the lcombination and arrangement of elements hereinafter Figure 2 is a sectional view, on a slightlyv enlarged scale, of the lay-pass valve, and associated outlet ports, shown in Figure l.

Figure 3 is a seetional'view, similar to Figure 2 but on a still greater enlarged scale, showing a by-pass valve constructed and arranged according to my invention.

Figure 4 is a graph showing the relation of the metered fuel to certain pressures and pressure differentials in an afterburner -fuel supply system for jet engines, arranged as shown in Figure 1. v

Figure 5 is a graph` showing the variation in metering head in relation toby-pass fuel iiow, with diierent values of pressure dierential across the metering valve, in the fuel supply system arranged in Figure 4, but which embodies the novel type of bypass valve shown in Figure 3.

but in which my novel form of yby-pass valve (Figure 3) ,Y

is substituted for theconventional by-pass valveshown in Figure l.

Referring to Figure l, the reference numeral 1 denotes an inlet conduit leading from a fuel supply tank (not shown) toa constant displacement fuel pump 2 which supplies fuel through connecting conduits 3 and 4 to an internal combustion engine (not shown). In the connection between conduits 3 and 4 is a metering orifice 5 whose ilow area is varied by the position of a metering valve 6, whereby the fuel liow to the engine is regulated as required for the desired operation of the engine.. Between pump 2 and orifice 5, conduit 3 communicates with a cylinder 7, in which is slidably mounted a piston by-pass valve 8, which varies the llow area through a plurality of outlet ports 9, that are connected vby a passage 10 with inlet 'conduit 1. By-passvalve 8 is biased upwardly toward closed position by a spring 11 andthe fuel pressure (P3) communicated, through a conduit 12, from conduit 4 to cylinder 7 below piston 8, in opposition to the fuel pressure (P3) in conduit 3 which acts downwardly on valve 8. A manually operated throttle (cut-olf) valve 13 controls the ow of fuel to engine through conduit 4, except when said valve is in normal full-open position, whereupon the fuel ow in conduit 4 is regulated by valve With the foregoingarrangemenn it is apparent that as the pressure (P2) in conduit 3 increases (as with increase in speed of pump 2), the pressure drop (P3-P3) across oritice 5 and valve 6y correspondingly increases, whereby by-pass valve 8 is moved downwardly and the tlow area through outlet ports 9 is increased, until the increased tlow of fuel through conduit 10 causes the pressure (Pz) in conduit 3 to return to its original value, as determined by the force and rate of spring 11. In this manner, the pressure (Pz) in conduit 3 is maintained at an approximately constant value. -Since (P2)y has an approximately constant value, the valueof the pressure (P3) in conduit 4, and the pressure dierential (P2-P3), are determined by the degree of opening of metering valve 6. But since the pressure differential (P3-P3) also.

determines the position of by-pass valve 8, it follows that the pressure dierential (P2-P0 will also be maintained at an approximately constant value by said by-pass valve.

However, since by-pass valve 8 is also acted upon (in a closing direction) by the momentum flow of fuel tlow through ports 9, variations in said flow produce movements of said valve which in turn cause variations in the pressure dilerential (P2-P3) across the metering valve 6, even when said metering valve is in a txed position. Hence, variations in pressure levels P, and P3, and consequent variations in ow rates through valve 6, cause undesirable variations in the pressure differential (P1-P3), so that the fuel tlow through conduit 4 to the engine is not accurately determined solely by the position of metering valve 6, as it should be for thev proper control of the engine by metering valve 6.

This diiculty is inherent in the operation of the conventional by-pass valves heretofore employed in fuel supply systems of internal combustion engines, and it cannot be avoided unless means are provided to automatically generate an hydraulic force that will act on the by-pass valve (8) in an opposing direction, and balance the momentum force of the liquid elllux which tends to close the by-pass valve.

I have found that such a balancing force can be automatically generated by a specially contoured semiannular ange 14 (see Fig. 3), which extends laterally outward from the cylindrical wall of by-pass valve 8 through 'the outlet ports 9, whereby the liquid passing through said ports is detlectedrin an upwardly sloping direction, so that the axis of the issuing liquid stream makes a selected angle, with the vertical outer face of the port wall, as shown in Figure 3. At the same time, the outer edge of the top face of valve 8 is also bevelled at a selected angle, 'so that the axis'of the liquid stream entering the ports 9 makes a selected angle 0 with the vertical inner face of the port wall. By thus deliecting the liquid streams passing through ports 9, from an entering angle of 0 to an exiting angle, 4, there is automatically generated an axial force which acts on valve 8, in a downward (opening) direction to oppose the axial upwardly acting force which tends to close valve 8, when it has the conventional form shown in Figures l and 2. As shown on column 6, lines 60-66 below, when the angles I and are given proper selected values, the eillux forces, of the liquid passing through ports 9 and acting on valve 8, can be made equal and opposite, so that they balance each other, whereby the undesirable variation on the metering head (Pz-P3), with variations in pressure levels, P3 and P3, and rates, w, of fuel tlow to the engine, can be substantially eliminated. This elimination of variations'in the metering head (P3-P3), causes the rate of meteredfuel dow, Wm, to be solely and accurately determined by the position of the metering valve 6, regardless of variations in pressure levels P, and P and rates of fuel flow, wp, in the fuel supply system. l

The manner in which the llange 14, and` the bevelled portion of by-pass valve 8, accomplish the above-mentioned results can best be described in terms of the following mathematical analysis of the operation of my invention, wherein the symbols employed are defined as A,=area of uid jet leaving .by-pass valve e in.a Av=K x by-pass valve open area in.2 Cd=valve coeicient low/in. sec. Fob=spring preload lbs. F,=F+Kb x by-pass valve spring force lbs. Kb=bypass valve spring rate lb./in. K=bypass valve area vs. stroke constant in/in. g=gravity constant in./sec.2 P1=boost pressure lb./in.3 Pz=pressure upstream of metering valve lb./in.2

P3=pressure downstream of metering valve lb./in.2 P4=nozzle pressure lla/in.2 P,=pressure at face of by-pass valve lb./in.a yf-:density of metered lluid lb./in.s wb=bypass ow lbJsec.y 0=angle of undetected liuid jet =angle of deflected jetx=bypass valve displacement in. W= W,+Wb=total tlow from pump lb./hr. Wm=metened flow lb./hr. Wb=bypass ilow lb./hr. U,=velocity of jet of elux in./sec. U=ve1ocity of jet of influx in./sec.

In the typical by-pass valve application shown in Figure 1, the purpose of the by-pass valve is to maintain a constant metering head across the metering valve regardless of pressure levels and meter ow rate. Ideally, with no hydraulic forces acting upon the by-pass valve, andwith a by-pass valve spring of zero rate, the preure drop, P3-P3, across the'metering valve is determined by the forces acting upon the by-pass valve, i.e.,V

However, as uid passes through the valve it exerts momentum forces upon the valve. These momentum forces in conjunction with forces due to changes in valve spring displacement result in a change in the pressure drop,

Pg-Pa. The magnitude of these forces is dependent nPponPboth the by-pass ow rate and the pressure drop,

Figure 2 is a schematic of the by-pass valve and shows the tiorccs acting upon it. The dotted volumerepresents the iluid directly above the face of the by-pass valve. The equations describing the forces acting on the by-pass valve are as follows.

The downward forces acting on the dotted volume are:

(PtAtHZm. 1) The upward forces acting on the dotted volume are: i (Pfam-14, cos a Equating Equations 1 and 2 and rearranging:

quating Equations 3 and 6 and rearranging:

[i 1 Uf- :gung-P1) Mld 15;:2-1'? Substituting these in Equation 7:

but

2.78 K1N Pl-P;

g w W(P, P1) cos the hydraulic opening force the available pressure-drop, Pz-Pl, acrossthe by-pass valve, and the by-pass ow rate, w. In the afterburner controls where a positive displacement pump is used, the total ow, Wp, is essentially a constant and equal to the sum of the metered ow, Wm, and by-pass ow, Wb.V In Figure 4, curve A is a plot of the required metered ow versus the nozzle pressure, P4, for the conventional arrangement shown in Figure 1. Until the shut-olf valve is completely open, it regulates the pressure, P3, at a nearly constant value above the control pressure, Pm, behind the shut-0E valve. With the shut-oil valve completely open, however, the pressure, P3, is equal to the nozzle pressure, P, plus the pressure drop due to the ow through the discharge passageway. Since the pressure, P2, is maintained at a constant value above P3, the relationship between metered ow, Wn1 and P, can be calculated. In Figure 4, curve B is a plot of P, versus metered llow, Wm. Since the pressure, P1, is maintained at a constant value, the available pressure drop across .the by-pass valve (P2-P1) versus metered tlow Wm,'can be calculated. The pressure drop, Pz-Ph available across the by-pass valve versus metered ow is shown by curve C in Figure 4.

se' but and substituting these in Equation l7: v

is replaced by the configuration shown n Figure 3, it is possible to substantially eliminate the variation in metering head, P,-P,. Essentially the latter configuration changes the direction of the elllux iet so that the hydraulic 5 momentum forces acting upon the by-pass valve are balanced. The equations describing the forces acting on the by-pass valve are as follows. y

The downward forces acting upon the by-pass valve The upward forces acting upon the by-pass valve are:

5 Equating Equations l1 and l2 and rearranging:

/2 wi w W I P; coso WAI] (20) 60 Comparing Equations 20 and 10, it can'be seen that the parameter, 0, which is essentially a constant, 60,

has been canceled out by profiling the face of the by-pass g 5 as nearly constant as desired, thus substantially eliminating the variation in metering head, Iig-P3.

By trial and error in test "uns, it was found that the least variation in the lastl three terms in Equation- 2O occurs when cos =0.l

The solid line curves in Figure 5 wereplotted from Equation 20 for various pressure levels and by-pass ows in a typical application of my invention, and show the characteristics of the by-pass valve of my invention under actual operating conditions.- These curves vare .cross If the by-passvalve configuration shown in Figure 2 75 plotted with curve C of Figure 4, to determine the metering head characteristics obtained with the novel by-pass valve of my invention, The resulting performance is shown as a dotted curve in Figure 5.

In Figure 6 curves A and B are determined in the same manner as the dotted curve in Figure 5, and show the improvedperformance of the novel type by-pass valve of Figure 3, in comparison with the conventional by-pass valve of Figures 1 and 2. It will be noted from curve A, which indicates the performance of the conventional by-pass valve of Figures l and 2, that the metering head (PQLPS) varies from 36 lto 30'p.s.i., with increasing `afterburner fuel system for jet engines, it is to be understood that it is not limited to such use, but is applicable to the regulation of liquid tlow generally. I also desire it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the particular construction and larrangement of elements, herein described and shown in the drawings by way of illustration," since these may be changed and modied by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention or exceeding the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A valve for controlling the pressure and llow of liquid in a conduit, said valve comprising: a reciprocable head coacting with a fixed seat, to vary the ow area therethrough; said head being so constructed and arranged as to be moved in an opening direction by a liquid differential pressure applied thereto; a spring biasing said `head in a closing direction, in opposition to said pressure differential; said valve having operatively associated means, for automatically balancing the hydraulic momentum forces acting on said valve head, owing to the flowA of liquid therethrough, with the force of said spring; whereby variations in said pressure differential with variations in pressure levels and flow rates through said conduit, are substantially eliminated, and said pressure differential is thus always maintained at a constant value, regardless of variations in said pressure levels and ow rates.

2. A valve as in claim l, wherein said means includes means for automatically generating a force, derived from the elux momentum of the liquid owing through said valve, which force acts on said valve head in an opening direction, and tends to balance the force exerted on said valve head, in a closing direction, by the influx momentum of the liquid owing therethrough.

3. A valve according to claim 2, wherein the included means recited in claim 2 comprises means for imparting to the liquid stream owing from said valve an eux angle, tp, of such selected magnitude, relative to the magnitude of the inux angle, 9, of Athe liquid stream entering said valve, as to balance the difference in momentum forces, exerted on said valve head by the inux and eftiux of the liquid stream passing through said valve, with the force exerted by said spring on said valve head.

- 4. A valve as in claim 3, wherein the comprised means i recited in claim 3 also includes an integral ange which extends radially outward from the body of said valve head beyond said valve-seat, and has a contoured surface, so shaped and arranged as to impart to the liquid stream owing from said valve a selected angle of efflux, o.

5. A valve according to claim 4, wherein the included means recited in claim 4 also comprises an annular bevconduit having therein a variable-area restriction for regul lating the rate of liow therethrough, and a spring-actuated valve for varying said area; means, operatively associated with said valve and restriction for automatically balancing the dilerence in momentum forces, exerted on said valve by the momentum ofthe liquid stream flowing therethrough, with the spring force acting on said valve, whereby said valvev always remainsin a constant, dynamically balanced position, regardless of pressure levels and tiow rates of the liquid owing therethrough.

7. A system as in claim 6, wherein said valve and operatively associated means includes' means for automatically generating a force, derived from the efliux momentum of the liquid llowing through said valve, which force acts on said valve in an opening direction, and tends to balance the force exerted on said valve, in a closing direction, by the inux momentum of the liquid flowing therethrough.

8. A system as in claim 7, wherein the included means recited in claim 7 also includes means for imparting to the liquid stream tlowing from said valve an elux angle,

e, of such selected magnitude, relative to the magnitude of the influx angle, 9, of the liquid stream entering said valve, as to balance the difference in momentum forces, exerted on said valve by the inux and eiilux of the liquid stream passing therethrough, with the force exerted by face of said flange, and is so shaped and arranged as to A impart to the liquid stream flowing into said restriction a selected angle of intiux, 0.

l1. Valve means for controlling fluid ow through an orifice, comprising a valve having a head, and a spring, acting directly on and coaxially with said head, for biasing said valve toward closed position; said valve head having means thereon which, coacting with said orilice, varies the volume and deflects the direction of the fluid stream owing therethrough, in such manner as to balance the dilerence in the momentum forces acting on said valve head and caused by said liuidow, with the force exerted by said spring on said valve.

12. Valve means as in claim l1, wherein the'means on said valve head comprises a lateral flange, which extends outwardly beyond the area of said orifice and deilects said lluid stream through a preselected angle such as to cause said difference in said momentum forces to balance said spring force.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS '2,320,686 waserge June 1, 1943 2,372,016 Rockwell Mar. 20, 1945 2,642,887 Renick lune 23, 1953 2,665,704 Kanuch Ian. 12, 1954 2,715,416 McKinley Aug. 16, 1955 2,755,815 Erle Iuly 24, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 204,955 Sweden May 31, 1939 

